


a Characteristic smile

by MissPawTastic



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Chara Is Their Own Warning, Gen, My First Undertale Fanfic, Origins, Pre-Undertale, Undertale Spoilers, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 10:11:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6979093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissPawTastic/pseuds/MissPawTastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one is born evil. Not even they were from the beginning. </p><p>But the question is: Do you even dare to believe that?</p><p>*Short story about Chara's possible origins.*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Marked

**Author's Note:**

> I planned for this to originally be just a small one-shot which popped into my mind during work, but who knows. Maybe I'll add some more chapters further on. 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Haunted.

Abandoned.

Forsaken.

Her sweaty palms grasped the fabric of her newborn as the darkened soggily forest kept them under constant watch, the ancient trees whispering between one-another as they knew why the human mother sought shelter underneath their branches in the lush green moss.

It was after all inevitable, an agreement which had been made in the village in flesh and blood long ago.

She held her newborn tightly to her chest, hoping the sound of her heart possibly could stir the small one’s wining. Her body ached and fingers trembled as they moved the soaked garment away from the small one’s face. The pink skin felt heated, pleasingly comfortable below her cold fingers which ached a tad as she touched their small plumped face. A pleasant feeling of warmth spread to her cold limbs while their tiny hand reached out trying to grasp their mother’s soaked face. Salted raindrops fell down her flustered cheeks as she held her small one closer to her, a lump forming in her throat due the grim truth which followed them like a hungry beast.

_”Shhh - it’s fine my heart: mommy is here. Shh..Mommy is here.”_

The voices were coming closer, echoing in the damp night as the beacon of lights from the hungry lanterns searched for the two of them. The dogs’ howls and snarling joined the mens’ angry shouting to each other as the sky opened up, pelting the thick forest with fresh rain once again. Quickly the mother laid the garment back over the newborn’s face as she forced her weary and tired limbs to move.

Where this strength she could feel pulsating in her veins came from she could not say, yet she welcomed it more than enough with opened arms. Darkness nibbled at her senses and mind as she pushed her body through its limits, desperately running from those who she once called her family, that which she once called her _home_.

Haltingly her pace faltered with every step she placed onto the forest’s ground as her muscles begged her to stop for a second.

Yet, she refused.

Knowing what would come next, she couldn’t afford to slow down nor stop - not as long as those who haunted them still left their ice-cold breaths in her neck.

A slight and hushed groan escaped her newborn’s lips as their small face became stained with raindrops. The mother reached for the protective garment which had slipped down with her cold fingers. Sadly, her body was at the brink of exhaustion and the power needed in her legs to stop the fall from happening had vanished into the black abyss of the night. Painfully she fell to the ground as rocks and branches tore at her fragile skin and clothes, the mother crying out in surprise and pain. To her luck she had at least managed to break the fall with her back, the small infant pressed tightly against her ribcage as it moaned in agony.

Staying awake felt like a devilishly crude punishment as the mother and child laid there underneath the grand oak tree as eyes wanted nothing more than closing and let sleep take the both of them under its pleasantly comforting wings.

She sat up, the small body turning in the garments as it terrified tried finding its comforting and protective guardian. Carefully the mother turned to her shaking knees as she placed the anxious baby onto the soaked bed of green moss, fingers reaching up to stroke the small and helpless face of the one she loved unconditionally, skin burning due the hot blood flowing in their tiny veins.

Deepest down, she knew it was inevitable. They would eventually find them, she could only run for so long and as much as it had been praised as a gift, she cursed humans for being such _determined_ creatures as they, she were.

And when the villagers would found them… They would take her baby away from her. Her child…

She could not let them have her small one: she would not allow such horrible and defying thinking turn her small one into one the village and the humans would lay all their sins onto. She had always felt uneasy whenever she had laid eyes upon one of those poor children, expression blank as they seemingly were nothing but a body without a will to live.

_A body Without A soul._

The village had contemptuously called those poor children ”Soulless vessels” or ”devilish children” due to them having to draw in all the wrongdoings, all the misery; all the pain and suffering humans brought with them. It was something which had always been done ever since the war. Blaming the monsters for those feelings of denial, anger and suffering and ultimately seal them underground had not been enough to ”bring peace” to humanity’s mind as they soon realized those feelings still lingered within them - yet now even stronger than before. The fear of those creatures taking, controlling a human soul had brought the two races against each other in a terrible confrontation which had lasted so long ago that only legends of it still lingered within humanity’s mind.

The same fear that caused humans to rage war against those monsters, was the same one which now had caused them believing a child born seven days after a blood-moon was strong enough to carry the weight of mankind’s sins on their shoulders.

She did not care if it was said to help humanity, that it was _necessary_ for their survival for this endless cruelty to always take place: there had to be another way.

_Yet, I know there is not._

The human felt a stung of pain in her heart as the infant began whimpering, quietly crying for its mother’s attention as the huge forest tried calming them. The voices were creeping closer to them, it would not be long before the dogs caught up on their trails and the villagers would find them.

It needs to be done.

_If only my hands could stop shaking._

The distant cries of a raven made the skin crawl.

She could not let them have her baby, she promised that she would do anything to protect her small one from her people: even if it meant ending their life with her own hands.

The knife felt burdensome in her hands as she brought it up before her, its sharpened blade glistering like silver in the black night. The leather covering the handle warm in her cold hands. The air felt heavier, the atmosphere grimmer as her throat and heart tied up into a knot leaving the mother breathless.

She crawled closer to the garment with the little creature squirming inside, heart racing in her aching chest as she raised her hands and pointed the cool metal right over its small chest.

”Mommy loves you very much, my little one… But I can’t let them take you, this is all that is left to do… Please, please forgive me… _Please forgive me_ _**Chara**_.”

She rose the tool higher up as her body began trembling of fear.

She had never taken a life before.

She was no killer, just simply a mother who only wanted the best for her little one.

Quivering she brought the weapon a tad bit higher up, hands grasping it so tightly that the knuckles turned white from the pressure. Like that, the mother froze. Unable to bring the weapon down and end the soon-to-be suffering the child would experience, but neither able to drop it and run away with her small one tightly pressed against her chest the mother became paralyzed.

_Death is in a heartbeat. No matter how long you prepare, you will never be ready for when it strikes._

Like invisible vines had snaked themselves around her body she could not move. Tears soon found their way down her flustered cheeks as the small baby began whining louder as it must have felt the sudden change in the air.

_”Her name is Chara. Strength will be her guidance, as much as I wish happiness will shine its light onto her and guide her through life.”_

The mother’s own words clawed at her mind, desperately wanting her to remember them. It was thought that names with a specific meaning would bless the child with fortune if they were to be given one. Chara had brought her so much joy when they entered this world, it was only fair their mother could bless them with a name which symbolized that. Nevertheless,

_I need to do this._

She took a deep breath and let the scent of forest fill her being, newly fresh rain, grass and moss, ancient trees and other forest-lifeforms sprawling in the ground and behind rocks and leaves. Mankind perhaps had begun abandon nature, but it was still the very place they all existed from, the very place which had all once in time breathed them to life: it was the most tranquil place to move on from.

She brought it down. Just as it was about to touch the sensitive pink flesh-

A giggle.

The tiniest. Regardless, it left the mother baffled. The infant had opened its small eyes and peered at its mother while the same giggle could be heard once more, sweet and innocently.

The weapon fell into the moss as desperate hands reached out to grab the small creature’s fragile body. She pressed her face at its small feature as new tears emerged from her already sore eyes, soaking the wet garment further.

_I am sorry._

”I am sorry I am Sorry I am Sorry I am Sorry I AM SORRY!!” the mother chanted into her small one’s form, clinging desperately to the little life-form she could not bring herself to end.

They giggled again as their small hand reached out to touch her face, those tiny fingers grasping her flustered cheek. The mother withdrew from the embrace to look back at her child, whose sparkling eyes shone like stars in the black night. Her worry and strained face turned into that of a soft expression, the tinniest hint of a smile in the corner of her lips as tears still found their way down her face.

”My child, _my Chara_ ” voice soft as a whisper.

”I will never leave your side my little one, mommy will always be here for you… I will always be here, always be-”

The sound came quicker than that which always was to follow, flesh and bones moving as the source for her sudden loose of breath bore into her. The feared colour quickly made itself visible as it soaked through her clothes, slowly seeping down the chest and down onto the little creature in the garment which now hung in the mother’s nearly limp arms, not understanding why their mother’s smile began faltering.

The breath she so desperately sought had abandoned the mother as the sharp pain slowly began kissing her torso, fighting for dominance over her trembling body which slowly seized it for itself. The deep crimson colour stained anything it touched, leaving the normally calm colour of nature itself in an unnatural heartrending shade.

Despite the unbearable torment from the arrow which had pierced the sensitive flesh on her back, the smile on the human’s now blue lips refused to completely perish.

Instead, she grasped the small one tighter as she pressed a red kiss onto their pale skin.

**”Over here!! I found them!”**

_Be strong._

The howling of men and dogs made her stomach turn.

Yet, the strength had forsaken her, left her when she needed it the most.

_I know you will be my child._

**”Hurry now; take the child quickly!!!”**

_Be strong, Chara._

Her arms felt like lead as that which she held dearest was forcefully taken from her, their sudden sharp cry making a hot fire burn within the depths of her being as their cry for their mother caused the dogs to snarl. She tried fighting them off, even as dogs bit her flesh and men screamed at her to stay still and surrender.

Yet she refused.

She clawed at the one holding her little one, the scream tearing from her throat as if she were no human but some deranged animal. The kicks came, the biting continued and the angry voices hissing towards her to stop fighting along with the crimson colour which soon had soaked every part of her meant nothing.

All which mattered something was soon to be taken from her, _forever_.

A hysterical scream rang through the thick forest as the man holding her crying infant forced her arms from him as he slowly turned around and began walking away, the warm light from the lantern showing him the path back to the village - and soon back to her small one’s nemesis.

Every sane thought had left, her screams were soon turned into soft whimpers of panic and heartache as she began clawing at her own hair and skin, fingernails digging into the soft flesh of her face and skull until they drew blood.

They were taking her baby from her, her own baby, her Chara.

**”In the name of all that is eternal, just end the poor creature’s suffering already; she is too far gone.”**

The footsteps behind were nearly perfectly silent. Pain flowed through her veins as someone yanked her head up by the hair, rain still pouring down and washing the blood from the newly made wounds away as cool metal pressed against her hot throat.

How uncomical.

The knife which were to be her little one’s salvation had now turned into the mother’s own demise. Yet, there was no saying the afterlife would present her any peace knowing her child soon wandered the earth with nothing but fear in their heart, fear which soon were to twist their innocently young mind.

The blade went over her skin with ease, the mother feeling the precious life draining quickly from the already weak limbs and weary mind. Tumbling down into the eternal black abyss she fell as darkness held its cold arms out towards her, welcoming her and wondering what possibly took the human mother so long.


	2. Red Eyes

Why did those words continuously echo in their mind?

Words of a person, with a name perhaps similar to that of their own, which the child had long forgotten.

Did they even mean anything?

They must have meant something, they figured. Why else have the faintest memory of those words being constantly whispered to them from lips that caused a jolt of familiarity run through them?

Yet, trying remembering was like holding water in nothing but your naked hands - it would always easily end up running between your fingers.

Some clouds passed by and temporarily blocked the sun’s desperate attempts to shine its light onto the residents of the village which laid by the grand mountain’s foot, hinting of something mankind now-a-days not fully comprehended.

Men, women, children and elderly who all went hand in hand with their daily and ordinary life walked by with raised gazes, and thus pass the small, barely enough fed child whose eyes not yet had given into the apathy of acceptance.

**_”-Demon child-”_ **

For seven, nearly eight, years had they been treated with none of that which a human, less a child, should ever have to experience. Wherever they walked, wherever they looked they were continuously met with nothing but despicable yet fearful eyes which followed them dusk and dawn like a soaked cloak. They had been made an outcast, thrown into a world they had learnt to take distance from whenever the possibility was made. This world inhabited with creatures, humans that somehow was said to be equals with themselves in a way the child questioned down to their own bones, gave the child none of those feelings it deepest down in their very soul craved - yet not knew.

**_”-I swear it is that child’s fault things have begun spiraling downwards - something is not quite just with that one… Soulless abomination-”_ **

What was it like to be someone special for someone? To be something special to, anything really?

**_”-It should have been disposed off long ago; Ever passing day is a bigger risk for that child to-”_ **

Perhaps it was better to be nothing, despite everything.

Yet, there was something within them, that clearly was not nothing…

Slowly they munched on the dried piece of bread as eyes jumped from the one familiar face to the next passing by. Some shot looks Chara by now had learnt meant fret as the villagers pretended not to feel those cold shivers running along their backs whenever the child chose to return their looks with darkly brown-crimson eyes.

Their eyes had always been piercing to the colour. Although lately, they had started looking even darker, grimmer as it seemingly looked as if dark blood ran through them- which some villagers had undoubtable noticed. Chara knew how they were whispering about them whenever the residents of the village thought Chara would neither notice nor hear.

Yet, Chara was wickedly clever for their age - and the continuously abuse of their body and mind, which had started to become more brutally and more frequently lately, only proved their believes further accurate:

They were planning something for Chara - something the child in their bones could feel would end badly for them if not… Something were to be done before that.

Yet, what could they possibly do?

Perhaps, it was better to just be, like they had lived every single day as far back they could remember.

Perhaps it really was better to just be _empty_.

Slowly they stood up as their eyes met the dusty path leading through the relatively small village now occupied with villagers. As per usually people frowned as their gazes landed on the child as Chara made their way through their own kind, some backing away or turning a sudden corner while the child headed towards the field they knew laid ahead outside the village with its beaming golden flowers.

It was a calm sight, a most beautiful one to say the least as those tiny flowers’ petals tried reaching for the sun’s precious bright light which shone almost protectively from above. Slowly they swayed in the breeze as the child made their way through the field and to the lone oak tree with its massive branches which welcomed them as it always seemingly did.

They sat down and stared up into the tree’s crown as wind tried removing all those green leaves from their safe haven, yet not able to overpower the ancient trees strong and still fresh branches.

_Like that of a mother trying to protect her children._

Chara had not been the only child to be treated like, this. At least - that was what they believed they had overheard from some villager a while back ago. There had been others before them, yet as much as Chara had tried finding out what had happened to those children, they had been met with further cruelty from those around them.

Chara remembered one time in particularly when they had managed to snuck in to the sacred and nearly withered library during the early hours, trying to find anything concerning why they were ’different’ from other humans.  
Or, at least considered to be different.

Nevertheless, the letters proved more than just difficult to even be considered readable as the child paged through the one old book after the other, and far more complicated than what the child had managed teaching themselves without the help of others. Yet, in there they had felt safe with the tiny candle flickering and its casting shadows dancing on the walls as a pleasant company for once.

As long as they remained unnoticed.

The residents punishment had been vicious once they found them, horrible as it had stripped the child of any possible remaining feelings that still back then could be found within. They had tied the child up in the middle of the village, arms bound beneath their back and feet together onto a bed of the very same golden flowers they now laid onto. It was the very center of the village, the one and only place which every resident one time or more would pass by during the day, the villagers eyes seemingly burned holes trough Chara’s fragile skin. There they had left Chara, in blazing sun with nothing to drink nor eat and neither any shelter when harsh rain and wind took their body to its wrath. They had been pleading, crying, begging for them to release them, promising to never do it again.

Yet, nobody came to save them from this demise of theirs.

Although, salvation had come in a form Chara hoped it had not as a resident needed to be cleansed from sin after two days.

Or was it perhaps three? It did not matter, they figured.

However, that specific time the child thought they would die.

Or no, not thought. They _wanted_ to die just so they could get rid of this endless torment.

Yet, they for some reason lived. It nearly seemed as if something within them refused to let go and let the child fall down into the black abyss of the afterlife as Chara at that point so much had wanted.

Chara might had survived that experience which only could be described as a trip to hell and back, although there was something that quite not did survive-

Their emotions. _Feelings_ had paid the excessive price.

After the near death experience and humiliation something must have gone missing within, or at least broke, as a strange and unfamiliar numbness began taking tool of them. Now, the villagers words and looks no longer left deep cuts or a stung of sadness within them. Now the pain from their kicks and punches would barely bother them anymore. Now the whole ’Soul cleansing-thingy’, which was pure torment having to absorb those skin-crawling feelings from whoever needed to get rid of them, was simply;

Nothing.

Emptiness.

And Chara could not welcome it more than enough.

In a world where they were not loved nor cared for, it was much better to feel nothing than the constant pain they where put through.

Nevertheless it was not that it did not hurt; it was just suddenly easier bearable.

Chara closed their eyes as the sound of the rustling leaves filled their hearing. Despite the lack of emotions, something within felt at peace as Chara still was able to just listen to the calm sounds of nature surrounding them, almost lulling them into a deep and protective sleep.

Soon, they left this world to enter their own which they finally could rest truly in.

* * *

 

The peace had not lasted for long.

Some men had sought Chara’s resting place out and dragged them back to the village, earning not even as much as a sound from Chara’s tightly sealed lips as one man pulled to harsh on their arm. As they came before the familiar house furthest away in the village, Chara’s gaze wandered to some children playing not far from them, laughing with childish giggles as they chased after a ball.

A sharp pain stung in their shoulder blade as one of the men had caught Chara’s staring, pushing them forward as the door swung open seemingly by itself, forcing them to enter their slow descendant.

One of the boys had caught sight of the men and the small child that was being forced into the nearly withered house. However, as soon as he noticed one of the men returned the look he was quick to look away and run back to his friends, golden locks beaded with sweat and nervousness.

It would be a long night, one tormented with feelings which where not their own Chara knew. Yet, as they were forcefully flung in-front of the old woman with rotting teeth and silver hair, the ’shaman’ of the village, something inside began stirring, stretching as Chara’s brown-crimson eyes met nearly gray-white- ones reeking of age.

This feeling, swept around the child’s heart and whispered words which made their blood run even hotter in their veins.

_**You are Stronger than them, Chara.** _

Chara could feel how their lips slowly began curling to that of a tiny smile as that sweet voice spoke to them.

The man the child knew was the one to have their soul cleansed began trembling as he tried moving away as far as possible from the wicked smile the child wore on their lips. Filled with this, _strength_ , Chara turned their gaze toward him as they felt a giggle trying to slip out.

  
Whatever this feeling was that managed to blow away that numbness, Chara could feel themselves drawn to it.

It would be their salvation.

**_"My freedom."_ **


End file.
